Useful Searches

We would like to remind you that we’re updating our login process for all 3CX forums whereby you will be able to login with the same credentials you use for the Partner or Customer Portal. Click here to read more.

Help! 3CX and after-hours customer calls

Perhaps someone could help me with inbound after-hours customer call handling with 3CX, when the calls are sent to on-shift field operations personnel.

Current environment - on a asterisk-based pbx
After hours inbound calls hit the IVR menu with a few options. Option 1 to leave a message (voicemail) and option 2 to contact someone for help in the main city. Options 3 to 5 go to mobiles in other smaller cities.

Selection pf IVR menu option 2 dials out to a specific mobile number on a "dumb" Nokia handset(of the field supervisor). If the field supervisor is off shift, then he diverts (phone's call deversion feature) to the mobile of someone who is on-shift.

Diversions happen at 3pm, then again at 10pm and is turned off at 6am. Things are more complicated over the weekends when the field operations supervisor isn't working, but still has to set/unset diversions.

:arrow: Rather than replace the current pbx right now, I'd like to forward the after hours IVR option 2 calls to 3CX and then let it deal with the calls. Any ideas on how to handle these calls with 3CX?

I was also thinking of putting a third-party live message-taking service desk at the end of the call flow - the catchall in cases of failures.

OK - In general, I think that 3CX can help you here because of its call groups, and the ability to set extensions to simultaneously dial mobile numbers associated with those extensions - or hunt through a prioritised group. Also - there may be a some mileage in being able to set different in-office and out-of-office schedules for each extension. Remote access to MyPhone could also be useful to give staff access to their call-plans to change them on the fly ...

In essence, incoming calls can be guided to specific extensions, or groups of extensions, where each extension can be assigned a mobile number - so you can forward incoming calls to multiple mobiles if you want. The extensions can then operate under a single master schedule for in- or out-of-office, or be set up on their own schedules. If you are dialing out to the mobiles on SIP trunks, you can even send a 'friendly' CLI that helps identify the call source as being your system ... And yes - no problem to build a chain that ends in a service desk type number.

You'll need to put some thought into how many trunk lines you'll need depending on how this is configured - and if you are considering using unlicensed 3CX ... version 11 will no longer support call groups without the license.